Box Score AU senior point guard Alyssa Miller has scored 1,001 points in her college career. Few were bigger than the last 14 points in that total.
Thursday (Feb. 13) night at Kates Gymnasium, Miller scored 14 points in the second half to help the Eagles put away the Findlay Oilers, 88-80. Miller is the 16th women in school history to reach 1,000 points. She ended this game with 20 total points.
Junior guard Taylor Woods, who is in line to be the next AU player to reach 1,000, scored 25 points, 17 in the second half. As a team, Ashland shot 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the field in the second half and 50 percent (4-of-8) on three-point tries. AU ended the game shooting 55 percent (33-of-60) from the floor.
With the win, AU stays alone in first place in the GLIAC South Division. The Eagles are 14-8, 12-6 in the GLIAC. Ashland has a four-game winning streak.
Miller hit 6-of-12 shots from the floor and went 8-for-11 at the free throw line. Woods was 10-for-18 and 2-for-6 on three-point attempts. Miller also had five assists and five steals.
Miller reached the 1,000-point plateau with a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left in regulation. Those charity tosses gave the Eagles an 86-77 lead. By that time, the AU fans could finally relax.
With 2:06 left in regulation the game was tied, 77-77. AU went ahead to stay, 80-77 on a triple by McKenzie Miller with 2:01 to go. Findlay's Ashley Andrews misfired on a three-pointer and AU's Jamie Sobczak canned a pair of free throws and AU was in front, 82-77 with 1:21 on the clock.
The Eagles coaxed a turnover on UF''s next possession and with 36 seconds to play, Alyssa Miller was true on a jumper for an 84-77 AU lead. The Eagles forced 19 turnovers. Ashland had 14 turnovers, but only had three giveaways in the second half.
The three-point shot helped the Oilers (10-12/7-11 GLIAC) stay in this game. The Oilers went 10-for-23 (43.5 percent) from the outer limits. Findlay also had a good night at the free throw line, connecting on 14-of-15 attempts.
The first half was a rough-and-tumble affair that saw Findlay break out on top, 8-0. Ashland fought back and took its first lead of the game, 15-14, with 10:22 to play in the first half. This game contained 19 lead changes and the score was tied seven times.
Forward Margaret Wuebker had 19 points and six rebounds to lead Findlay. Guard Nikki Gunning had 12 points and forward Lacey Kessler had 10 points.
The win gives the Eagles a sweep of the season series. Earlier this season the Eagles won at Findlay, 80-55.
Ashland will entertain Hillsdale on Saturday (Feb. 15, 1 p.m.).
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